FASINEX: XBT Temperature Profiles from the Northwest Atlantic Ocean

Northwest Atlantic Ocean temperature-depth profiles were collected via expendable bathythermograph (XBT) and bathythermograph (BT) casts from the vessels PITTSBURGH and ST. LOUIS between June 1984 and June 1986. The data were processed into the NODC C116 format, which records temperature at non-uniform inflection points to define the profile curve. This dataset was created for the Frontal Air-Sea Interaction Experiment (FASINEX) with support from the Ships Of Opportunity Program (SOOP).

Use Cases

• Analyzing vertical temperature structure and thermocline depth in the Northwest Atlantic based on paired temperature-depth values.
• Studying frontal dynamics and air-sea interaction processes as part of the FASINEX experiment.
• Validating or calibrating oceanographic models with historical in-situ profile data.
• Investigating temporal changes in ocean heat content from a specific time period.

Strengths

• Data covers a specific, multi-year time range from 19 June 1984 to 25 June 1986.
• Profiles are processed to a documented standard (NODC C116 format) designed to capture inflection points efficiently.
• Dataset is hosted on multiple authoritative platforms (NASA Earthdata, Data.gov), indicating established provenance.

Limitations

• Column names and exact data structure are unknown from the provided metadata.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (1986 vs. 2026) create uncertainty about recent processing.
• The specific number of profiles (rows) and total data volume are not provided.

Provenance

Source

University of Rhode Island; NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).

Collection Method

Collected using BT and XBT casts from research vessels.

Time Range

1984-06-19 to 1986-06-25

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:49:26.333364

Geography

Northwest Atlantic Ocean